The short answer
Pet insurance reimburses part of a veterinarian's bill for an eligible accident or illness. You pay the vet, then submit a claim, and the insurer pays back a share after your deductible. Plans differ on waiting periods, annual limits and whether pre-existing, hereditary or dental conditions count. A licensed broker compares plans for your animal's age and breed, and explains the wording.
- New owners of a puppy, kitten or rescue animal
- Families wanting a plan in place before an emergency
- Owners of breeds known for hereditary health conditions
- People caring for an older animal and wondering what is still possible
- Households with several pets who want to compare how plans treat them
No broker in the network handles this yet. You can still prepare and save the request now. It is kept, and requests like it show us which brokers to find next.
Outside Alberta, Canada you can prepare and save a request today; sending opens place by place. Brokers answer with their own quotes. Broker.insure does not quote, advise or take commission.
01 / What it covers
The parts worth understanding
Accident-only plans
Pay for injuries from events such as being hit by a car, swallowing an object or a broken limb. They usually exclude illness and routine care.
Accident and illness plans
Cover injuries as well as sicknesses such as infections, allergies or cancers, subject to exclusions. This is the most common kind of plan.
Wellness and routine care options
Optional add-ons that contribute to vaccinations, check-ups and similar costs. They are usually a set allowance, not insurance in the strict sense.
How reimbursement works
You pay the clinic, claim, and receive a portion back. Look at the deductible, the share the insurer pays and whether a limit applies per year, per condition or for the pet's life.
Waiting periods
A delay between enrolment and when cover starts, often longer for illness than for accidents. Anything that starts during the wait is generally excluded.
Pre-existing and hereditary conditions
Conditions that showed signs before cover began are usually excluded. Hereditary and breed-related conditions may be covered, limited or excluded depending on the plan.
02 / Get ready
Bring this, and expect these questions
Gather
- Your animal's species, breed, date of birth and sex
- Whether the animal is spayed or neutered, microchipped and up to date on vaccines
- The name and clinic of your regular veterinarian
- Records of previous visits, treatments and diagnoses, which the insurer may request
- The date you adopted or bought the animal, and any paperwork from a breeder or shelter
- The postal code where the animal lives, since vet costs vary by area
- The kind of cover you want: accident only, accident and illness, or with wellness
- Any other pets in the household that you may want to insure
A broker will ask
- What breed is the animal, and how old is it?
- Has the animal ever been treated for an illness or injury, and when?
- Is the pet spayed or neutered, and is it kept indoors or outdoors?
- Which veterinarian do you use, and can you provide records?
- Do you want routine care included, or protection for big unexpected costs only?
- Would you rather have a higher deductible, or a higher share of each bill paid back?
- Are there other pets to quote with this one?
Not sure of an answer? Leave it. "Not known yet" is a fine answer, and a broker will help you fill it in.
03 / Build your request
Answer a few questions. Get your own list.
Pick what fits. Your answers shape the list beside them, and they are saved to your request as plain facts a broker can read. "Not sure yet" is always a fine answer.
04 / Three situations
See which one sounds like yours
A family picking up an eight-week-old puppy
A family with three children has chosen a puppy from a breeder, due home next week. The breeder has given vaccination records and a letter about the puppy's health checks, and the children want to start training classes right away.
First steps. Arrange a vet visit to establish records and ask the broker how soon cover can start and which waiting periods apply. Ask which plans cover hereditary conditions common in the breed, and what the breeder's paperwork means for the insurer.
Someone adopting a senior cat with a past diagnosis
A retired man adopted a twelve-year-old cat from a rescue. The shelter noted a past thyroid problem, the cat is on daily medication, and the adopter wants to know what any plan would still pay for.
First steps. Get the shelter's medical records and the vet's notes. Ask the broker which plans accept older animals, how a documented existing condition is treated, and whether anything not related to it would still be covered if it came up later.
A household with a large breed prone to joint problems
A couple owns a three-year-old German shepherd who plays hard at the dog park. Their vet has mentioned joint issues in the breed and they want to know how plans handle them.
First steps. Gather the vet's notes and ask the broker how each plan defines hereditary and orthopaedic conditions, and whether anything in the history could be treated as pre-existing. Compare how annual limits and waiting periods apply to exactly those conditions.
05 / Words you will hear
The jargon, in plain words
- Waiting period
- The days after you enrol before cover for a given kind of claim begins. Anything that appears during that gap is treated as having come first.
- Pre-existing condition
- A problem that showed signs, or was diagnosed, before cover began. Plans commonly leave these out for as long as the policy lasts.
- Reimbursement
- You pay the clinic first, send in the invoice, and receive a share back. The share depends on the terms the plan sets.
- Annual limit
- The most a plan pays in one policy year. Some plans cap a single condition or the animal's whole lifetime instead, so read which kind applies.
- Hereditary condition
- A problem that runs in a breed or family line. Plans differ on whether they cover it, and may ask about it when a young animal is enrolled.
06 / Common mistakes
What trips people up
- Waiting until the animal is sick, then finding the condition is excluded as pre-existing.
- Choosing a plan without checking the annual limit and what is excluded.
- Overlooking waiting periods and assuming cover begins on the day of enrolment.
- Assuming routine care is part of an illness plan.
- Not reading how hereditary and breed-related conditions are treated.
Ready when you are
Turn this into one clear request.
Save it, add what you know, and choose when to send it. A licensed broker who handles pet insurance takes it from there.
07 / Questions people ask
Straight answers
How does pet insurance work?
You pay the veterinarian, submit the invoice and records to the insurer, and receive a reimbursement for the covered portion after your deductible. Plans set limits per year, per condition or for life. Some insurers can pay the clinic directly in certain cases. The wording tells you what counts as covered, so read it before enrolling.
What does pet insurance not cover?
Common exclusions include conditions that existed before the policy began, cosmetic procedures, breeding and pregnancy costs, and routine care unless a wellness add-on is chosen. Some plans exclude hereditary or dental disease. Each plan is different, so look at the exclusions list as carefully as the benefits list.
Is pet insurance worth it?
That depends on your animal, your finances and how you would cope with a large unexpected vet bill. Insurance spreads that risk, but plans include deductibles, limits and exclusions, and you also carry the cost of premiums. A broker can show what is and is not covered so you can decide with accurate information.
Can I insure a pet with a pre-existing condition?
You can often insure the animal, but the existing condition and anything related to it will usually be excluded. Some plans consider a condition curable or resolved after a period without treatment. Provide full vet records, since an incomplete picture can lead to a declined claim later.
What is a waiting period on pet insurance?
It is the time between enrolling and when cover for a particular type of event begins. Accidents often have a short wait and illness a longer one. Anything that starts or shows signs during the wait is generally treated as pre-existing, so the best time to enrol is while the animal is healthy.
Does pet insurance cover dental care?
Many plans cover dental treatment after an accident, such as a broken tooth, but not routine cleaning. Some include dental illness with conditions like a recent check-up. Ask how a plan treats dental disease and whether regular cleanings must be documented before a dental claim is accepted.
General information, not insurance advice. Broker.insure is a directory and request service: it is not an insurer and does not quote, bind or advise. Policy terms, availability and what is required where you live depend on your situation and on licensed professionals. Updated 2026-10-31.